


Once more with feeling.

by thistle_do_nicely



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F, Gratuitous use of motor vehicles, References to Torture, Shameless Smut, references to violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-16
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-07 20:31:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3182156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thistle_do_nicely/pseuds/thistle_do_nicely
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if that kiss in 4x11 wasn't their first but the first time it had been really meant anything more to one or both of them?</p>
<p>Or, how Sameen learned to stop worrying and love her Root.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ten Hours to Kill

**Author's Note:**

> Had an idea for what a one-shot smut but after reading a conversation on tumblr (discussion about whether events of 4x11 meant that Root and Shaw can’t have been previously shagging and the suggestion that – at least for Shaw – that sex and feelings could be mutually exclusive) I decided to write this….. 
> 
> Still very new at the fan fic thing (particularly the naughty stuff since I've never written smut before) so apologies if it’s a bit clunky/rough round the edges. Chapter two will be set just after Honor Among Thieves and chapters three and 4 will be during 4x11. Depending on how this goes I may write a fifth/sixth.
> 
> This first chapter title is obviously from Root’s line in Honor Among Thieves and, yes, the works title is also my second favourite BTVS ep ;)
> 
> Rating for obvious reasons and for some of the language.

Ten hours to kill.

Shaw had taken her boots off, thinking that she should be safe enough in a CIA safe house to drop her guard a little. Usually she would keep them off so she could run if she needed to, but she didn't see that happening. Still, she had taken the knife she kept hidden in her boot out and held it loosely in her right hand. She sat on the chair, her right foot crossed on her left knee, leaning back in the chair and watching the taller woman with a mixture of bemusement and fascination. She moved the knife, taking the tip and balancing it on the seam of her black jeans near her ankle.

Three hours down, seven to go.

In those three hours Shaw had taken apart, cleaned and reassembled her weapons. Twice. In that same time Root had taken a shower, redressed, made some food (Shaw was pretty sure that this was for her benefit since Root didn't really eat very much and spent most of her time watching Shaw eat) and was now clearing up.  Shaw was bored. Oh so bored. Now her mind was wandering. She slowly spun the knife round in her hand, the tip staying in the same spot, and took another swig of whisky from the tumbler in her left hand. Now that she was on her second glass she was beginning to feel an effect; the tingling she felt in her legs meant that she knew she should make this her last one of the evening. Her head seemed clear though and so it was a surprise when she realised that, as she was watching Root dry her hands, her eyes were drawn to the path of a drip of water as it ran down Root’s neck from her wet hair. Before she knew it, her mind had meandered to thoughts about Root in the shower.

“See something you like, Sameen?” Root must have spotted Shaw staring at her.

Shaw glared. “Yeah, I could use a maid. Never liked doing the dishes.”

“You couldn't afford me Shaw. Unless you take, uh, alternative methods of payment?” Root’s voice suggested innocence but her facial expression was suggesting something else altogether.

Shaw rolled her eyes and drained the rest of her drink. Maybe she would have one more. With Root like this she felt like she needed it. Or maybe it was her senses that needed dulled. She admonished herself for her momentary loss of professionalism just a short moment before.

“I need to dry my hair. Think I spotted a hair drier earlier when I was searching for the good stuff.” Root nodded at the whisky bottle on the table next to Shaw. She sauntered out of the room.

Shaw watched her leave.

Soon she heard the muffled sound of a hair drier from the bedroom and Shaw poured herself that third and final whisky. As she took her first sip of this glass, she slowly let the amber liquid roll over her lips and onto her tongue, making her lips sting just a little and bringing to mind the sting of the taser she had felt only too recently. Oh, she _definitely_ needed to pay Root back for that, but that would have to wait. Her gut feeling said that Root was telling the truth but she definitely didn't trust her and she sure as hell wasn't going to let Root disappear once this mission was over.

Root. Shaw couldn't stop thinking about her. She thought about how close they had been in the car when Root had cut her zip ties and she had got right in Root’s face, threatening her. Root wasn't in the least bit phased and had actually looked like she welcomed Shaw being so close to her. So close she could feel her breath on her face. She irritated Shaw constantly. The way she flirted with her: the shameless innuendos, the suggestive looks, the use of just that little bit more body contact than necessary. It definitely irritated her but she wasn't entirely sure if that was because she really didn't want the attention or because, subconsciously she really did. She realised she was licking her lips. She bit her lip to stop herself thinking about _her_ , hoping the pain would bring her to her to her senses. But that didn’t work as she began to think about what it would feel like to have Root bite her lip. About what it would be like to bite down on those lips, her shoulder, her collar bone, her thigh… _Fuck._

Three hours fifteen minutes to go. Six hours and forty-five minute left.

Shaw groaned. She had two choices. Do something. Or do nothing. Her brain was definitely trying to nudge her towards doing nothing. Or at least doing something to snap her out of this. Another part of her was longing, aching for her to do something. As she ran her finger around the rim of the whisky glass she thought about how long it had been since she had felt such an attraction and about how many hours she still had to kill.

_Do_ _something_.

But this would be on her terms and she would be in control of the situation, calling the shots. _My way or the highway_. Before she could talk herself out of it, Root emerged from the bedroom. Her mind had been so far away she hadn't even heard the drier being switched off. Shaw clenched her jaw in frustration. She looked up at Root, through those ever-present strands of hair at either side of her face, and held her gaze with an intense stare. Root looked slightly surprised by the intensity of Shaw’s expression but held her gaze. Shaw suppressed a smile as she realised this was about the longest period of time that she has spent with Root without being on the end of some overt flirting. Root’s attention was drawn to the knife, which Shaw moved and pointed towards the taller woman.

“Take off your shirt”.

“What?” Root was definitely not expecting _that_. She blinked, swallowed and furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to figure out what Shaw was up to.

“Let’s see if you’re full of it, or, if you’ll…. walk the walk.” Shaw said slowly, deliberately and accusingly.

“And if I don’t…?” Root inquired, crossing her arms, trying to look more assertive. She hadn't realised that Shaw would read this as a defensive posture.

“Then you can leave.” She motioned towards the bedroom with her hand but she kept her eyes fixed on Root’s eyes.

Root continued to hold her gaze but didn't move for what seemed to Shaw like several minutes but she knew was probably a fraction of a minute. Eventually, she brought her hands up to her chest, where the uppermost buttons were fastened. She began to unfasten the buttons on her shirt, top to bottom. When she reaches the last one she left it open but didn't remove it.

“I said. Take. It. _Off._ ” Shaw growled.

“Patience Sameen,” Root purred. She seemed to have regained her composure. She slid her shirt off her shoulders and let it drop to the floor before looking questioningly at the woman seated before her. Shaw’s eyes dropped and took in the view, working hard to ensure there was no outwards sign of the heat that was building up inside of her.

Shaw motioned with her head for Root to come towards her. She uncrossed her leg, setting it down on the floor and leant forward slightly, resting her elbows on each knee. She tilted her head to the side, looking up at the taller woman as she gracefully covered the few paces needed to close the distance between them. She stopped a few feet in front of the chair and tried hard not to flinch when Shaw brought the knife up towards her abdomen. Shaw pushed the tip of the knife against the thicker material above the main button on Root’s jeans. She looked up, into Root’s eyes, “These can come off, too,” said gruffly, delivered as a command, definitely not a suggestion. She withdrew the knife, still holding it in her right hand and rested the tip of the knife against the tip of her index finger on her left hand. Looking at Root the whole time.

Root brought her hands to the button she had just been ordered to unfasten. She paused, as if to tease Shaw, and swiftly resumed when she saw Shaw’s eyes narrow and her grip on the knife tighten. She undid the button, pushed her zipper down and slid the pants down towards the floor. As she stepped out of the pants she watched Shaw’s eyes wander downwards, definitely taking in her underwear and looking up and down her legs. The desire that Shaw was trying not to show was shining in her eyes and her mouth betrayed her as her lips parted slightly. Roots own mouth twitched into a slight smile as she began to read Shaw but she repressed it – she was still clearly annoyed with her and she was holding a knife which she _definitely_ knew how to use.

Shaw looked up again and nodded over at the sofa, indicating where Root should go. Root didn't change her expression but complied, turning to move towards the sofa, which was against the wall. Shaw couldn't help but notice Root’s hair as she turned, which swayed over her back and shoulders like she was _in a god damn hair commercial_ , making Shaw want to run her hands through it and she could imagine her hand gripping that hair so she had Root _exactly_ where she wanted her. Exactly where she could feel a heat building, a fire that she had to deal with. Now. _Fuck._

Shaw got up, following Root to the sofa. Root stopped at the sofa, waiting for further instruction. The next thing she felt was the sting of ice cold metal pressed against her back. “Kneel,” Shaw insisted, running the blade of the knife over the small of Root’s back. Root followed this order and the next one. “Hands against the wall.” She felt the sofa cushions shift as Shaw knelt behind her, one leg on either side of Root’s bare legs, her breathing getting shallower as she anticipated what was going to happen next. Shaw’s hand brushed against Root’s right ear as she tucked her hair out of the way, allowing Shaw access to breathe words into Root’s ear. The contact was the first in this encounter and it sent a jolt of electricity through her and caused her to claw her fingers down the wall, clenching her fists. Shaw’s body was pressed against Root’s and she could feel Shaw’s erect nipples, hard against her back, through Shaw’s thin tank top. This physical, intimate confirmation of Shaw’s arousal pressed against her sent shivers up her spine and made her gasp. Her fists unclenched and her nails scratched back up the wall until her hands were flush against the wall. Shaw placed her hands either side of Roots, knife still in her right hand. She murmured into Root’s ear, “Stay exactly where you are.” She moved her right hand down, between Root’s legs and gently dragged the tip of the knife over the crotch of Root’s panties, trailing right up the centre. Root moaned at the sensation, having to fight hard not to grind forwards against the blade, and instead having to tensing all her muscles in reaction to the tingling she felt all over. Shaw smiled to herself as she witnessed the reaction she was causing and she knew that Root was as ready as she was. She continued to drag the tip of the blade over Root’s stomach, never breaking the skin, as she said “I had thought about using the zip ties but I had a change of plan.” She put her left hand on Root’s hand and slid her own hand down to Root's wrist. “Of course it would have been fun, and I know how much you like using them,” her hand gripped Root’s wrist and pulled it away from the wall, “but there are big advantages to having your hands free.” She moved Root’s hand down and brought it towards her, behind Root’s back, moving the palm of her hand on top of Root’s hand and bringing it onto her abdomen. She guided Root’s hands down, into her pants and under her own underwear. She stopped her own hand moving downwards and let Root continue.

Root felt the soft curls first and then, as she continued down, her middle finger naturally dipped towards Shaw’s centre and she felt how wet Shaw was, making her shudder and arch her back. She heard Shaw in her ear, not quite a moan but she knew from the breathing she was hearing exactly just how aroused Shaw was, as if she hadn't felt already. Shaw removed her left hand from Root’s wrist and snaked it around Root to lightly trace a finger over the taller woman’s breasts. She moved her hips forward, trying to create some much-needed friction as Root teased a finger around her clit. Root needed her own friction and instinctively began to move her right hand away from the wall, only to have it slammed back against the wall. “No.” Shaw growled at her, before switching the blade from her right to her left hand and bringing her left hand with the blade to Root’s neck. “You concentrate on _me_.” Root quietly grumbled at this frustration. “Patience,” she heard Shaw hiss in her ear. She moved her right hand down onto Root’s thigh and trailed a finger exactly where she had moved the knife just moments before. Root hummed in appreciation and rewarded Shaw by moving her finger onto her clit. It was Shaw’s turn to gasp and in return she slid her hand down the front of Root’s panties and found that Root was as slick as she was. The friction Root was now providing was bringing Shaw dangerously close to the edge, she was so distracted that she had changed her grip on the knife and now it was her clenched fist that was against Root’s neck, with the blade pointing away from Root’s neck. _Dammit_ , she didn't want to come quickly – they still had hours to kill.

Root seized the chance to move and she grabbed Shaw’s right hand with her own and twisted round between Shaw’s legs so that she was sitting on the sofa with Shaw effective straddling her. She looked up at Shaw’s flushed face which was now sporting a furious “if looks could kill” look and then glanced at the knife. “You were right Sameen, having my hands free is useful.” Shaw dropped the knife and brought her hand up to Root’ neck, sinking back so she was almost sitting on Root’s knees. As she began to close her hand around Root’s throat she heard her say, “But just think what more I can do if have both hands and my mouth free.” Shaw felt Root’s hands on her hips and then snake their way under her top, over her abdomen and up over her breasts. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back and slid her hand around the back of Root’s neck into that glorious hair.

Root felt her head being brought forwards and she instinctively moved her hands to Shaw’s back, pulling her closer. Their bodies were pressed against each other now and their faces inches apart. “Show me,” Shaw whispered, and Root could feel the breath from Shaw’s lips on hers and it felt electric. Their lips crashed together and this first kiss was wild and desperate and full of promise. Tongues explored, teeth bit down on lips and before long both women could taste that metallic tang of blood on their tongues. Shaw started to unclasp Root’s bra at the back and Root pulled back, with Shaw assuming that it was so she could remove it. But Root grabbed Shaw’s top before she knew it and was pulling it over her head, throwing it to the side once it was off. Next she moved to Shaw’s button on her jeans, swiftly unfastening it and unzipping the fly. Shaw could see Root’s eyes, shining with desire and wondered if her own eyes looked the same. There was no way the jeans were coming off with her in this seated position so she pushed herself backwards and stood up. Before she was even fully balanced, Root had her hands on the top of her pants pulling them down to the floor. Root was at eye level with her plain black skin-tight boxer briefs. She smiled and moved her hands onto Shaw’s hips pulling her in a little closer so she could kiss her just above the waistband of her underwear. She felt Shaw’s hands in her hair and then she suddenly stopped, pushing Shaw away from her. Before Shaw could protest, Root had stood up and she motioned her head towards the bedroom. Shaw nodded and followed as Root brushed past her into the other room.

They had barely made it into the other room when Shaw pushed Root against the wall, kissing her just as hungrily as she had minutes before. Shaw felt Root reaching around to unfasten her bra and she moved her hands away from Root so the plain black garment could be more easily removed. Shaw moved her head down a little, kissing and biting Root’s neck. She wanted to bite hard enough to leave marks but, even with the hood they were planning to use in a few hours, Shaw thought it prudent not to provide opportunity for questioning. She suppressed the urge to draw blood, for the moment, and instead worked on removing Root’s bra, all the while still nipping and biting at Root’s neck. She could hear appreciative noises. “I thought I was supposed to be showing you what I could so with _my_ mouth?” Root murmured as Shaw slid the straps over her arms and let the lacy item drop to the floor.

Shaw moved her mouth over Root’s, and whispered, “What can I say, I'm a giver,” barely getting a chance to finish before Root pushed herself forwards to close the slight distance between them and capture Shaw’s lips again, moving forwards with enough force to flip Shaw round so she had her back to the wall. Root then dipped her head down so she could kiss Shaw’s perfect, full breasts. She heard Shaw match her moan as she felt her rock-hard nipple under her tongue and then she felt the smaller woman arch her back, pushing their hips together, as she responded to Root’s attentions. She moved her head back up, ferociously kissing Shaw, running her hands over the smaller woman’s waist and hips before sliding them around to her back and under her black underwear to caress her ass. In response, Root felt Shaw pushing forwards with more force, guiding Root towards the bed.

They were so lost in the moment that they almost lost their balance as they bumped into the bed. Root hooked her thumbs over the waistband of Shaw’s briefs and began to pull them down. She worked her way down Shaw’s body kissing, licking, biting until the underwear was on the floor and Root’s face was level with Shaw’s upper thighs. She kissed her way back up Shaw’s body, and before she knew what was happening Shaw was tugging at Root’s panties, pulling them down onto her upper thighs before pushing her on to the bed. This allowed Shaw to slide the lacy garment down over her legs and cast it aside, leaving her standing between Root’s feet as she lay sprawled on the bed.

Root smiled wickedly as she saw the predatory look on Shaw’s face, her dark eyes dancing in the dark of the dimly lit room. Shaw crawled onto the bed, cat-like, her face inches from Root’s body as she moved over the bed. Root could feel her breath on her stomach, her muscles clenching as she craved more contact and was relieved to have her desire satisfied as Shaw began kissing one breast while caressing the other. The sensation of having one nipple held between Shaw’s teeth and the other pinched between fingers was enough to draw a raw moan from deep within Root and she arched her back in response, running her hands through Shaw’s hair and gripping the bed cover in her other hand. She pushed her hips up desperate for Shaw to move her attention to the burning heat between her legs. Shaw smirked and looked up at Root’s face – she saw Root’s eyes were closed and her head was tilted back, exposing her neck. Shaw kept one hand on Root’s breast, moving her head up to kiss Root’s neck and sliding her other hand down towards Root’s stomach.

She teased her, gliding her hand around the place Root wanted it most and moved down to her thigh. This brought another moan from Root who changed tactic and moved her own leg up between Shaw’s legs, feeling that she was as wet as she was before. Shaw growled and relented, moving her hand where Root wanted it. She hummed with pleasure as she felt how ready Root was and Root groaned with pleasure as Shaw easily slid a finger into her and louder moaning follow when Shaw pushed her thumb against Root’s clit. Shaw felt Roots nails grip into her back and as Root dragged then down her back Shaw felt a burst of pleasure that for a split second fooled her into thinking she was about to come. She lifted her head up as she gasped at the sensation and Root looked right into her eyes, the wicked grin back on her face. Shaw rewarded Root by slipping another finger inside of her and moving with more purpose. Root, in turn, moved one hand down the back of Shaw’s leg, again scratching her nails up the back of the smooth skin of her thigh, causing Shaw to moan with pleasure and grind downwards onto Root’s thigh. Root moved her other hand down and eased it between her and Shaw until she could access Shaw’s centre. The position she was in wasn't very helpful and so the best she could do was to use her middle finger to provide pressure and friction on Shaw’s clit. Feeling how wet Shaw was and hearing how she responded to her touch sent shivers down Root’s spine and left her entire body tingling, pushing her close to the edge.

Shaw sensed this and picked up the pace, moving her fingers inside of Root and working her clit with her thumb with more vigour. She moved her hand from Root’s breast to her hair, gripping the back of her head and pulling her into a deep kiss which lasted until Root came, clenching round Shaw’s hand tightly. As she shuddered under Shaw, their lips parted slightly and Shaw found herself looking at Root’s lips as she breathed her name, “Sameen.”  She had never heard her name in _this_ way before and the shock of hearing it said like _that_ threw her, causing her to freeze for a moment. She was brought back by Root’s finger slipping away from her clit and she realised that Root was trying to manoeuvre Shaw into a better position. Shaw withdrew her hand and allowed Root to turn her over so Root was sitting astride Shaw. Shaw looked up at Root’s flushed cheeks and her gaze moved down to Root’s pert breasts which were rising and falling rapidly due to Root’s breathlessness. She instinctively placed her hands on Root’s thighs, running them up towards her hips. She realised her fingers were still wet but Root didn't seem to mind as that smile was back again. She leaned down and whispered in Shaw’s ear, “Time to make good on promises. I don’t just talk a good game.” With that she began kissing Shaw’s neck, while caressing her breasts with one hand and the other on her thigh. She was as good as her promise, expertly responding to Shaw’s moans, gasps and movements until she found Shaw urging her to proceed.

“More,” she groaned, as she raised her hips upwards. Root, dragged her mouth up and over to Shaw’s lips, kissing and biting them as she raised herself onto her knees. She then pushed herself down the bed, trailing kisses down Shaw’s body, paying close attention to those full breasts. The slow progress was not enough for Shaw and she growled, “ _More_ ,” as Root slowly moved her head down to where Shaw wanted her. When she got there she skipped past it biting and kissing Shaw’s inner thighs, causing more frustration, “ _Now_ ,” she insisted. Root decided she had teased enough and teased her fingernails up the back of Shaw’s thighs causing her to lift them and allowing Root to put Shaw’s legs over her shoulders. She wasted no more time and her tongue quickly found Shaw’s clit, briefly circling round it before lavishing it with the attention Shaw was craving. Shaw responded with a wild moan that told Root everything she needed to hear. She brought a hand up and eased two fingers into Shaw and she lifted her head briefly, seeing that Shaw had one hand in her own hair and the other over her own breast. Shaw grunted Root’s name at the hiatus in proceedings and moved her hand away from her breast and into Root’s hair, angling her head down where she wanted it. _Exactly_ where she wanted it. _Fuck_. It was better than she imagined. Root resumed her work, this time digging her nails into the flesh on Shaw’s hips as she sucked, bit and licked Shaw to oblivion. It wasn't long before Shaw came, not with Root’s name on her lips but with a strangled gasp, her head thrown back and her back arched up. Root didn't stop until Shaw had ridden out her climax, broken and exhausted, arms flopped onto the bed either side of her, breathing heavily.

Root smirked as she watched Shaw try to compose herself. She disentangle herself from Shaw and pushed herself off the bed. Shaw still had her eyes closed when Root purred, “Told you.”  Shaw opened her eyes just so Root could see her roll them and then she closed them again. “You should grab a couple of hours now that you have the chance, since your last sleep was…. interrupted.” She grunted and opened her eyes to watch her elegantly slip out through the door. A few moments later she heard the shower and was grateful that Root hadn't stayed demanding a different type of intimacy. One that Shaw didn't do. She crossed her arms behind her head and felt as relaxed as she had in a long time. Root had been right – not that Shaw would admit it – but she was sure as hell going to make sure that Root was tied up after this mission was done. She closed her eyes and it was not long before she drifted into sleep and was dreaming of zip ties, hoods and a certain brunette.


	2. Taking all night.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaw asks for Root's help when she really doesn't need it. What she needs is something else altogether.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written in response to that look on Shaw’s face.  
> http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mLdjYut8vj4/0.jpg
> 
> I did some post graduate virology research so some of the uni stuff is based on my own experience (not at NYU though!). The researcher featured is not named after anyone in particular and is not based on anyone in particular (certainly not me, although I guess I was known to head to the pub after work on many an occasion….).
> 
> Still trying to get the hang of this writing malarkey - any constructive criticism is welcome as I want to get better :) The next chapter will be posted soon. Stupid work and all your awesome fics were distracting me (still got about ten to catch up on) and got in the way of me finishing this sooner!

Chapter 2: Taking all night.

“Full decontamination? This could take all night.”  Root smirked.

Shaw couldn’t help but smile. Root was never one to miss out on an opportunity for innuendo. On another night she might have rolled her eyes, but the events of the previous 24 hours had left Shaw feeling pretty pumped up: high on adrenaline and not ready to come back down. She wasn’t lying – she had, for the briefest of moments considered what it would be like to take Tomas up on his offer. She knew that it would be a thrilling route to take, one which would be made more exciting because of her attraction to Tomas, but she would be working for herself and for money, and somewhere inside of her she knew she belonged here, with the team working with the machine. Now was not the time to bail. It wasn’t just that she cared about certain people; this work was _just_. Plus, kneecapping bad guys was better fun than stealing stuff (which she got to do sometimes anyway) and taking down Samaritan agents felt really, really good. She knew the danger they faced if they were found – and if they were found, the danger the world faced. There was no contest really.

Then there was Root. She was trying hard to convince herself that there was no reason that she had specifically come to _Root_ for help with the decontamination. A procedure she could probably have handled herself. But this was bound to be more _fun_ with two and Shaw wasn’t in the mood for anything else.

Root said that they should get some food before they started and to give her a chance to figure out a few things – she explained that she had helped with the initial research so she had an idea of what needed to be done but she wasn’t sure where they needed to go to get the equipment.

As they ate (well, as Shaw ate and Root watched her) Root described what they would need to do to the vials. A little bit of research later they decided that the nearest and safest option was the research labs at the School of Medicine at NYU.

 

 

An hour later they were sitting across the road from the entrance to the virology and microbiology research labs at NYU, sipping coffee in a car they had _borrowed_. Having checked the place out earlier, they had realised that they key card access system meant that they needed to get their hands on the ID card of an employee. Now they were waiting.

“Heads up.” Shaw had spotted one of the lab lights going out and they got ready to move depending on how this night owl was travelling. A few minutes later a figure appeared at the door of the building and headed out into the night. As they disappeared round the corner, the two women got out of the car and began to follow. A few blocks west of where they started they spotted their mark heading into bar. “Well, she’s got good taste,” Shaw said as they crossed the street, towards the door of the bar.

“You know this place?”

“Yeah, they have a great selection of beer on tap _and_ lots of bottles. Some pretty decent malts too.”

“Alright, drinks are on you then, since you’re such an expert.” Root smiled as she held the door open for Shaw, who gave Root a half-hearted eye-roll in reply, brushing past the taller woman as she went through the door. “I’ll head to the wash-room and locate our scientist while you take care of drinks.” Shaw nodded and headed to the bar. She eyed up the beer list on the wall behind the bar and decided on her choice and made one for Root before placing her order. She took a sip of the amber coloured draught beer she had ordered, savouring the cooling sensation the liquid was having, and she immediately took a few more gulps. A few minutes later Root appeared back at the bar and stood with her back to the bar, looking out across the room. “She’s in a booth at the back with some friends. Her ID card is still clipped onto her hip.” Shaw glanced over and clocked the woman in the booth as she passed Root the bottle she had ordered for her. Root noted Shaw’s already half-empty glass and raised an eyebrow. “Someone’s thirsty.”

Shaw shrugged, “I don’t get the chance to have anything this good very often.” She was standing side on to Root, facing the back of the room, keeping eyes on their target.

“Mmm, this is pretty good.” Root seemed surprised, “It tastes a bit like…,” her voice trailed off as she searched for the right flavour.

“Peaches.” Shaw offered, knowing full well what this beer tasted like as she had chosen it for Root for this very reason.

“Yes, honey bun?” Root, could barely contain her grin as she tried to look innocently at Shaw.

“Very funny, Root. You know what I meant.” Shaw’s mouth was almost twitching into a smile which she fought off by biting the inside of her cheek.

“I can’t help myself. Yeah, peaches. Nice.” She took another drink.

“They use peach blossom to flavour it. Bit sweet for me but I thought you’d like it.” Shaw remembered Root choosing bottles of peach flavoured iced tea on a couple of occasions.  “She’s getting up.” Shaw had spotted movement, “Looks like she’s maybe heading our way.” She had spotted cash in her hand and looked like she was taking drinks orders from her friends.

Root put her bottle down on the bar, turned towards Shaw and said, “I think I might need to tie my lace…” as she nodded at the space beside Shaw at the bar. Shaw nodded, sussing Root’s plan out instantly and placing her own drink down on the bar. Shaw kept an eye on the woman as she walked towards them. Shaw coughed slightly and Root bent down as if to tie her shoe lace – she wasn’t even wearing any laces – and sending the young woman sprawling forwards. Shaw threw and arm out, neatly catching her but making it look like she had only just managed to stop her and the flailing woman from crashing to the floor. She helped straighten the woman up and as she did she noticed a familiar logo on the tank top the woman was wearing under her zip-up hoodie.

“Are you okay? My friend is such a klutz.” Shaw apologised profusely, still holding onto the other woman, as she noticed Root getting to her feet. As she stood up, Root pocketed the card that she had caught when Shaw had deftly unclipped it from the woman’s jeans and dropped it towards the floor.

“Don’t be daft, it was me – I’m the klutz. I only had eyes for the beer list and I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Shaw smiled as she realised she definitely recognised the accent and that it matched the logo – she had figured out a way to distract the young woman from figuring out that her badge was “missing” and a possible exit strategy. “No problem for me,” she said flashing a wide smile, “It’s not every day I get a Scot throwing herself into my arms.” Root’s eyes widened as she began to see where Shaw was going with this and leaned back against the bar to watch.

“Wow, you’re good. I usually get ‘Irish’.” The young woman did not look like she minded at all that Shaw still had one hand on her waist and her other still gripping her at the elbow.

“Pfft, please, any idiot can tell the difference. I’m guessing central…west coast…?” Shaw ventured.

“Yeah, more or less – I’ve lived all over so I’m often hard to place. And I’m obviously staying here just now.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, giving the impression she was a little nervous. “So, have you been over?”

“Yeah, years ago. Ended up working with quite a few of your lot in international task forces overseas. Got to tell the difference a bit. They taught me to appreciate the good stuff.” She nodded up at the whisky bottles behind the bar.

“Well, maybe you should let me buy you a wee half to thank you for saving me.”

“Well, I’m not one to pass up the offer of a drink…” She paused, waiting for the woman to offer up her name.

“Kirsty. Post-doc at NYU. And you?”

“Sam. Security consultant.”

Root chose that moment to set up their exit. “Unbelievable. You just don’t get it.” She sighed and slammed her beer bottle down onto the bar before storming off in the direction of the door muttering, “Don’t know why I bother.”

“Wait!” Shaw shouted after Root. She turned back round to face the stunned scientist, “Sorry, I gotta go.” The woman just nodded and watched as Shaw turned back again, racing out the door.

Shaw caught up with Root half a block away from the bar and grabbed her arm, spinning her round to face her. “Just in case anyone is watching.” She nodded back in the direction of the bar. Kudos on the bunny boiler act.”

Root’s face flashed the briefest of smiles before animatedly shrugging Shaw’s arm away and resumed her march away from the bar. “Who said I was acting?” She turned to look at Shaw and tried not to laugh as she saw the incredulous look on her face turn into a confused frown. As they rounded the corner Root laughed and said, “This is way too easy.”

“Whatever.” Shaw rolled her eyes, making sure Root saw her exaggerated gesture. “Let’s go destroy this virus before I decide to use it to infect people who annoy me.”

A few minutes later they were back at the entrance to the NYU research building and used the key card to let themselves in. They made their way up to the third floor where they found lab with an extractor hood near the door so Shaw could work and Root could keep watch.

“No sign of anyone. Found it yet?” Root asked from the doorway.

“Yeah, ‘Virkon’ – you said it was a pink powder, right?” Shaw replied.

“Yeah, you need a 1% solution – it’s important not to overestimate as anything above a 4% solution might not work. You, uh, sure you remember how to do that?” Root said, slightly nervously.

The look Shaw shot in her direction told her the answer. She checked the instructions on the side which gave directions for how much powder to dissolve in a particular volume of water. She did a quick mental calculation and carefully measured out the powder using the measuring cup inside into a large plastic beaker she had found. She measured the required volume of distilled water into a measuring cylinder and poured it into the powder, swirling the beaker to get the powder to dissolve. She double-gloved, pulled the hood down as far as it would go and picked up the vials, opening them and lowering them into the solution before discarding both pairs of gloves into the solution as well. She backed away from the hood towards the sink and washed hands, wrists and forearms very carefully before using paper towels to dry her hands. She put the lab lights off, leaving the room only illuminated by the light from the extractor hood.

“How long?” Shaw joined Root at the doorway, hanging the lab coat she had borrowed next to her jacket, which she chose to leave hanging up for the moment.

“15 minutes should do it. Security are due to swing by in…” Root checked her watch, “…five minutes. We should head up one floor to where the social area and offices are – these labs are too exposed. Once security is gone we could even get a coffee.”

They headed off towards the stairwell and had only got halfway along the corridor when Shaw heard a noise and saw a chink of light appear at the end of the corridor ahead of them. Root, who was a fraction ahead of her, obviously hadn’t spotted it yet and there was no time for Shaw to warn her. They were just passing a small alcove on their left which Shaw guessed housed the entrance to a darkroom, as there was what looked like a revolving door with a red light above it. Shaw reached out her right and grabbed Root just above the waist, while at the same time putting her left hand over the taller woman’s mouth to warn her not to make any noise. She dragged her sideways into the alcove, and then pushed her forwards into the wall, almost slamming her against the wall.

As she was being manhandled out of view, Root heard the door at the top of the stairwell close and realised what Shaw was doing. She heard Shaw’s steady breathing behind her, and was impressed by how calmly and quickly she had reacted. As she listened to the guard walk along the corridor towards them she tried not to think about how much she was enjoying being pinned to the wall by Shaw and concentrated on not making any noise or moving at all. If the guard turned his head slightly to his right as he passed he would surely see them - not that it would be the end of the world if they got caught by a university security guard, but it would be much, much easier if they were not. They heard the crackle of the guard’s radio and heard him humming away as he walked along the corridor. The sound of the humming began to fade and a few seconds later they heard the door of the stairwell at the other end of the corridor, open behind them.

Shaw relaxed a little, letting her left hand move away from Root’s mouth, but didn’t move from her position. Root could sense Shaw’s breathing begin to become a little shallower, a little more rapid and smiled to herself.

“Can’t-” Root started to say before she was quickly cut off by Shaw moving her left index finger onto Root’s lips. Root felt a tingling sensation surge right through her at this contact, which felt intentionally sensual. She realised why Shaw had done it when a second sound startled her slightly but it was just the stairwell door banging closed and she realised why Shaw hadn’t moved. It wasn’t safe yet. A few seconds later when Shaw still hadn’t moved, Root began to dare to think that maybe Shaw was lingering for another reason other than remaining undetected. Her mind flashed back to the memory of having Shaw pressed up against her in a certain safe house and Root placed her palms against the wall, savouring that memory.

Shaw had been focusing on making sure they were not spotted by the guard, but the longer she was pressed up against Root the more her body reacting. Now that she was sure the guard had gone she found her focus shifting to the woman in front of her. Her senses seemed overloaded: the intoxicating smell of her hair mixed with the smell of her leather jacket, the warmth of Root’s breath on her finger, the softness of Root’s hair on her cheek, the sound of Root’s uneven breaths and the tingling she felt in the hand that rested on the front of Root’s waist.

 It was enough to make her head spin.

When she saw Root place her hands on the wall her own mind flashed back to that night and her right hand seemed to move as if she weren’t controlling it, snaking across Root’s stomach. When she reached an area Root’s shirt did not cover and her fingers brushed over bare skin, she felt Root twitch underneath her and her tilt her head back. As she listened to Root’s breathing become even more hitched, she moved her left hand down, trailing her finger over Root’s lips and down to her throat and then down towards her collar bone. The effect she was having on Root was causing a heat to build up inside her that she desperately wanted to do something about. She removed her left hand off of Root and reached to the left for the dark room door pulling the handle to the left and spinning the revolving door open. With her left hand she guided Root to her left into the opening and followed behind her.

The small revolving door wasn’t built for two and it was a tight squeeze as she reached out to grab the handle and spin the door 180o so they could exit into the small room. The only light on inside was the red light and it took a few seconds for either of them to see anything at all in the dim light. Once their eyes adjusted they could see film processing units to their left and right and ahead of them was an empty work bench.

Root turned round to look at Shaw, bathed in red light and saw her chest heaving up and down, a clear indication of her hunger and desire. As Shaw looked up at Root, eyes trained on her through those ever present strands of hair at either side of her face, she had an almost primal look. Root’s eyes widened and she bit her lower lip.

The sight of Root biting her lower lip seemed to be a trigger for Shaw as even in the dim lighting her eyes appeared to flash and she quickly moved forward, grabbing Root’s jacket and pulling her down into a frenetic kiss. Root’s hands found Shaw’s waist and pulled the smaller woman tighter into her. Shaw responded by pushing Root towards the bench. When the back of Root’s legs hit the side of the bench she sank down a few inches so she was sitting on the bench, moving her knees apart allowing Shaw to move forwards so her legs were hard against the bench. Root’s legs hooked around Shaw’s and her hands moved down onto Shaw’s ass. She heard Shaw make a sound almost like a growl as her hands reached the back of her legs before moving back up and sliding under Shaw’s top.

Shaw’s hands, which had been in Root’s hair were now tearing at Root’s shirt, opening it as she bit Root’s lip. Her hands roamed down to Root’s stomach as her lips kissed down, along her jaw and onto her neck, biting and sucking at her pulse point. As Root leaned her head back, her hands moved further up Shaw’s body, pulling her top with it. Shaw pulled away long enough for Root to remove her top and for her to return the favour, pulling the shirt and jacket off at the same time. Root’s hands found the button on Shaw’s jeans and unfasted it before sliding the zipper down as Shaw attacked her neck again. Sliding her hand down inside Shaw’s underwear, Root moaned as she felt how wet Shaw was. Shaw responded by grinding against Root’s hand, pushing Root back, trying to get Root’s fingers to move where she needed her. Root let the pressure that Shaw was putting on her push her back further, spinning herself round to bring her leg up onto the bench and guiding Shaw up on top of her, causing Shaw to growl at the loss of friction.

As Shaw crawled forward, moving up onto the bench top and making her way up Root’s body she let her mouth explore Root’s body, kissing her stomach and ribs before dragging her teeth over her collar bone. When Shaw bit down on her collar bone near her scar, she felt like a surge of electricity was flowing through her, emanating from between her legs. Her back arched up and she dug her nails into Shaw’s back bringing out a hiss of pleasure from her. Her hands moved down to Shaw’s ass, pulling her down into her as Shaw reached her lips, biting down on her lower lip at the same time as one of her hands began to tease at Root’s nipple through her bra. As Shaw felt Root’s nipple harden she moved her other hand down to undo the zipper on Root’s pants before slipping it inside. Shaw teased over the fabric of Root’s panties, feeling the moans from Root’s lips reverberating off her own as she threatened to move under the fabric. Shaw felt Root’s hands move down, dragging her nails down the back of her legs. Even through the fabric of her jeans it sent shivers up her spine. She rewarded Root by moving her hands under Root’s panties, sliding her fingers down to her clit and circling round before she felt Root’s hips push up to tell her this was not enough for her. Shaw responded by guiding two finger inside of Root, but keeping pressure on her clit with her thumb. Root made a strangled sound and dug her nails in further, causing Shaw to gasp and move her fingers with more purpose, responding to Root’s movements and sounds and driving her to the edge quicker than she thought she could. As Root came, she lifted her head and upper body off the bench pushing Shaw up with her, and before she lost the ability to speak for a brief moment, whispered in Shaw’s ear, “ _Fuck…. Sameen_.” Then Shaw felt Root clench round her fingers and could feel the pulse of her blood underneath her swollen clit. As Root rested her head back down on the bench she looked up at Shaw and wondered what she must look like this exact point, sweaty and flushed. She figured it can’t have been that bad as Shaw leaned down to kiss her again. Root couldn’t help but move her hands up into Shaw’s hair as she hungrily kissed her back. Shaw was getting impatient as the grinding against Root’s leg became more vigorous. Root pushed Shaw up and manoeuvred her into a kneeling position astride her own hips, pulling Shaw’s jeans down over her hips. Root grabbed Shaw by the hips and pulled herself up into a sitting position before letting Shaw sink back down, so her head was level with Shaw’s breasts. She pressed her head between them and Shaw felt her hair almost tickling her skin and before she knew it her hands were in that soft hair pressing Root’s head against her. She felt Root’s arms move up her back and unfasten her bra before those hands moved up to her shoulders and started moving the straps to the side. Shaw let go of Root so she could remove the bra over her arms, eagerly anticipating what Root was going to do once she had access to her bare skin. Root didn’t disappoint as her mouth explored one breast while a hand caressed the other, making Shaw groan out louder than she expected. Root paused and looked up at Shaw with a slightly startled look on her face, which promptly gave way to a smirk that looked almost predatory because of the lustful glint in her eyes.

“Don’t stop,” Shaw breathed, her hands back in Root’s hair. Root delighted at the effect she was having on Shaw but felt a need to please rather than tease and moved her mouth back where Shaw wanted it, relishing the feeling of the hard nipple under her tongue. Her right hand had made its way down to Shaw’s hip and her left hand now glided down over Shaw’s taught abdomen so she could use both hands to tug Shaw’s underwear down.

As she felt Root’s fingers slip under the waistband of her underwear Shaw shivered at the contact of Root’s fingertips on her skin, before she felt nails scratch down as Root pulled the black material down over Shaw’s legs. The stinging sensation heightened Shaw’s arousal and she was now desperate to have Root inside of her, to have her release her from this pent-up state. “ _Root._ ” Shaw growled this time, letting her frustrations show.

Root released Shaw’s nipple from her mouth and looked up at Shaw, as if she was going to tease Shaw and make her wait. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Shaw’s face, watching as she slid her hand between Shaw’s legs and searching her eyes as she easily glided two fingers inside Shaw. She bit her lip as she felt how wet Shaw was, how much she _needed_ Root right now. She watched as Shaw gasped, breaking their eye contact as she threw her head back, and felt hands grasping at her shoulders.

Shaw felt Root’s hot breath over her breast again and her senses were overloaded when at the same time she felt a tongue on one nipple, fingers pinching her other nipple and a thumb providing friction on her clit. She dug her nails into Root’s shoulders as she struggled to stop herself from crying out, managing to keep it down to what she thought was a strangled yelp and what she hoped did not sound like a whimper. This woman was really pushing her buttons and it felt…… _Fuck._ She knew she had to keep quiet because of their current location but she also really didn’t want Root to know just how much she was physically affecting her. Her body was betraying her though and in less than a minute Root’s fingers, thumb and mouth brought her to a shuddering climax that literally took her breath away. It was only when she inhaled sharply after she had ridden her orgasm out that she realised that one of her hands was in Root’s hair again, gripping it and tugging her head back. She again fought back the urge to say Root’s name, as she has moments before, and instead ran her hands through Root’s hair, debating on her next move.

Root sensed Shaw’s hand moving into her hair, initially pushing her head closer into Shaw’s chest but as Shaw came over the edge she felt that hand clutching her hair, pulling her head away from her body. This position mean that Root couldn’t help but watch Shaw’s face as she fell apart in ecstasy in front of her, feeling her clench round her fingers and sensing the muscles contracting all over her body. Despite the obvious pleasure Shaw was experiencing, Root couldn’t help but feel that Shaw was holding something back and she felt a knot in her stomach as she realised that she wanted nothing more than for Shaw show abandoned honesty in a moment like this. Root had just settled on interpreting Shaw running her fingers through her hair as a carefully chosen action, designed as an attempt to provide enough intimacy for Root, but not too much for Shaw, when she was surprised by Shaw dipping her head down. Root could see brown eyes sparkling before her as Shaw let her lips hover just over hers before kissing her – not exactly softly, but it was gentle enough to make Root’s stomach flip inside of her. As Shaw lifted one leg up to dismount Shaw, she leaned forward further, bringing her mouth close to Root’s good ear.

“I’m glad it didn’t take _all_ night,” she said playfully.

 

 

After retrieving the beaker with the vials from the fume hood they took them to their final destination – the autoclave in the wash room for the department. A quick check and they figured out where to leave them so that they would be sterilised with the rest of the waste glassware from the department in the morning.

Shaw was relieved when Root told her that the machine had somewhere for her to be. “I should probably try to catch a few hours sleep before I have to be on the shop floor, selling my soul to capitalism,” she said.

“I didn’t know you had a soul Sameen,” Root smirked.

“Maybe I don’t. But if I do, I think I would sell it right now for steak,” Shaw grumbled as they reached the car again.

“I don’t think you’re going to be able to get that at this time of night. The good news is - that place further up on 1st avenue with the gyros you like _is_ open.”  Shaw’s eyes lit up. “The bad news is that I have to head in the other direction,” Root gave her best pout as she got into the car.

Shaw rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the tip. The walk won’t do me any harm.” She held Root’s eyes for a brief second before turning away. “Later.” Hands in her pockets, she walked away, resisting the urge to turn round.

“I hope so, Sameen,” barely a whisper, as she started the car.


	3. Once more, with feeling.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time it means something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their third “encounter”. That scene from If-Then-Else (don’t read if you aren't up to date). Although this was harder – emotionally - to write (‘cause, y’know, the feels), this flowed easier for me than the smut. Split into two parts; one for each character. Root’s POV in the next chapter.

Chapter 3: Once more, with feeling.

 

“Root, no offence – you’re hot, you’re good with a gun. Those are two qualities I greatly admire. But you and I together would be lie a four-alarm fire in an oil refinery.”

It was more than she had ever admitted before but it wasn't like Root didn't already know she found her hot. Still, saying it out loud was a first for her and the fact that she hadn't flat out said no to the thought of being _together_ with Root was as close as she could bring herself to acknowledge that what was going on was maybe more than just physical. There certainly was no denying that, particularly when Root was doing her usual two-gun thing which Shaw had _definitely_ come round to. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to focus on the task in hand.

They had made it to the elevator. Then the unexpected happened – if there was a God, he or she had a sick sense of humour – the lift was not going anywhere. The realisation smacked her in the face.

 _Fuck_.

There was only one option – Shaw had spotted the override button and she knew what needed to be done. She had to get there. Had to get to the button. Had to hold Samaritan’s goon’s off long enough. Had to save them. Had to save her.

“Sameen, if you even think I'm gonna let you-“

 _You don’t get to choose. If I don’t do this, we all die. You die_.

“Oh, for god sakes…”  This was not the time for histrionics. There was a job that needed doing and there was no time to discuss it. With John down, it had to be her. There were other hammers but there was only one analogue interface and they wouldn't make it out without the machine’s help. Plus Shaw knew she had ammo left.

Punching her was out of the question, tempting though it was, as they needed Root to be conscious if they were to make it out alive. And then, as she turned, she looked into Root’s eyes.

It hit her like a sledgehammer. The fear in Root’s eyes - it was as if she could see into Root’s naked soul.

It was so very clear.

Shaw knew Root cared about her: “ _Try to remember that.”_ Remembering how Root’s voice had wavered as she said that – but this was different, this was more than just caring. Root’s eyes were reaching right into Shaw, tugging at _something_ ……… something in herself that Shaw did not want to acknowledge. Something that she could not ignore at this moment. So blindingly apparent was Root’s emotion, her devotion, that Shaw could think of only one action to take. As she realised what she was about to do, she shook her head, hardly believing herself.

She grabbed Root by the shoulders and crashed their lips together. It was different than before. It wasn't borne out of lust, power or insatiable desire. She needed to connect with Root in a different way than before. To reach out and touch her. To let her know that she _knew_. That it was okay. And she needed to shut her the hell up so she could get her job done.

As she felt Root kiss her back, hesitant for a brief moment and then with more need, it was as if a tide of warmth had rushed through her from Root, making her feel like she was on fire. More than anything she wanted to stay in that moment and let Root warm her, melt her, burn her. Her stomach twisted into a knot as she realised that this could be it. She didn't want this to be the end. She wanted more. Dammit she wanted more from this. She wanted what Root wanted. Shaw wanted _her_.

 _Fuck_.

But there was no time for what-ifs.  

As she pushed Root away from her, she heard Root yelp in surprise. She looked into Root’s eyes, the fear replaced with hurt. Shaw wondered if her face looked as flushed as it felt, wondered if it were obvious that her heart was racing more than it ever had done, if Root knew she felt….something. For the woman who didn't do feelings, she was certainly _feeling_ right now.  So she turned the volume down as low as she could and closed the gate, glad that she could close the latch with her foot as it left her hands free in case she needed to use her weapon. A small part of her admitted that to herself that she also wasn't sure how steady her hands were at this moment.

She tried not to look at Root again, not sure if she wanted to see the pain she knew was etched on her face.

 _Dammit. You have a job to do. Do what needs to be done_. _Focus._

She turned towards the desk and began moving in that direction. She had almost got the button when the first agent appeared. She pushed the button and the goon was taken out with a shot to each shoulder.

The she appeared from around the corner, half hidden in a haze of smoke.

The blonde one.

She fired her weapon towards the Samaritan agent. Again and again.

The first bullet didn't stop her. She kept firing.

The second bullet stopped her in her tracks, spinning her round and taking her down to the floor.

She wasn't thinking about the pain, couldn't really feel it over the deafening noise. The volume had been turned back up as her senses were flooded: the warmth of the blood pooling under her, the cool feeling of the floor under her head, the sight of that bitch walking towards her with her gun ready to finish her off, and the stomach-churning sound of Root screaming. Part of her was ready and willing for Martine to pull the trigger so she wouldn't have to hear the awful sound any more.

 _Make it stop_.

Most of all she wanted to be able to tell her it was okay. She wasn't scared to die. This was a good death. She tried not to think about how much she wanted to reach out to her and she hoped Root could sense this as she looked into Root’s eyes, holding her gaze as the shutter doors closed on them.

She tried to look strong.

She was Root’s hammer.

 _I do the protecting_.


	4. Hold back the river.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Torturing myself by describing this third encounter from Root's perspective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First time writing from Root’s POV. Apparently I've decided that Root has a colourful vocabulary. Hope it works…
> 
> The title comes from the James Bay song - couldn't get it out ny head while I was writing this. 
> 
> Sorry in advance about the feels. Definitely one more chapter (which should be lighter) to go but I might need to write some fluff in between.

Chapter 4:

 

“Sounds cosy.”

Adrenalin was surging through her and it made her feel alive. Despite the danger, Root was almost enjoying this. Especially since Shaw had just said she was hot. Still, she would have been much more comfortable if she still had ammo left and if Harold’s pet hadn't got himself shot trying to save his master.

They had made it to the elevator. She would have thought it minor miracle that they had made it this far without losing someone but she had faith in Her to guide them to safety. She apparently had faith in Shaw’s ability to kick some righteous ass since their odds of survival had increased dramatically when she had strode in like a white, or rather, black knight to save the motherfucking day. Stealing everyone’s thunder like she was Lord-fucking-Flashheart. It would be annoying if she wasn't so adorably blunt. _“You guys look like crap.”_ Root decided that Shaw could save her ass everyday – as long as she didn't shoot her laptop. Her thoughts were interrupted by Harold and a cruel twist of fate.

“What the…?! The control is not responding.” Harold sounded understandably desperate. Root’s optimism instantly vaporised and she had to work hard not to let a dark cloud of panic fill her head. In her ear, she heard that She was “evaluating strategies” but it was Shaw who solved the problem.

A stupid override button that in reality was less than 20 feet away, but might as well have been a mile away.

Solved. Just exactly like Shaw would. Like a fucking sledgehammer. Not thinking about herself. Taking one for the team. But not thinking about the impact that her choice could have on others. _No, you are not doing this. You do not die today_. Of course, Shaw wouldn't, couldn't, think that anyone would care enough to not want her to do this.

“Sameen, if you even think I'm gonna let you-,“ Root didn't get to finish.

 “Oh, for god sakes…” Shaw spun round to look at her.

So she looked right back. She had to make her see. Make her understand. She focused her gaze on Shaw with an intensity she had never dared to before. _Harold said she knew. Did she? If she did then she would know what this would do to me._   She searched the other woman’s face for any hint of recognition.  For something, for anything. She felt an urge to reach out to Shaw but the fear that was consuming her paralysed her. The sting of tears prickled her eyes and she fought them back. Root processed what she saw on Shaw’s face.

And there is was. _Something_.

 A brief softening of her face – Shaw looked stunned, as if she was realising for the first time that Root had been deadly serious. Four-alarm fire or not. As Root saw Shaw shake her head she thought for a moment that she was going to change her mind, that she was going to realise what a stupid plan it was and that they should wait for the Machine to re-evaluate. She let the brief glint of hope still her fears, to quench the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. What happened next was not what Root had expected.

Shaw reached out and gripped her upper arms. So tight. _What the…?_ Shaw had only once initiated physical contact when it wasn't necessary for the mission. She saw Shaw close the short distance between them and, although she didn't think it was possible, her heart drummed in her chest at an even faster rate than it had been. Before she knew what was happening, Shaw’s lips were pressed on hers.

It was not like before. Before was teeth, tongues, sweat and an all-consuming thirst to devour each other. This was softer at first, but then their need to deepen the connection increased the intensity. The warmth Root felt pouring from her to Shaw wasn't exactly oil fire hot, but she sensed that Shaw was reacting to it and she felt those fingers holding her arms dig in just a little more, squeezing.

But then, all of a sudden, the all-too-brief connection was broken and she was being pushed away. She could not help the yelp of surprise that escaped as stumbled backwards across the elevator, being caught by Fusco. Worse than the hurt she felt at being pushed away though, was the look of anguish she had seen on Shaw’s face as she had pulled back from the kiss.

_She knows._

_She knows._

_She knows._

Root stood open mouthed as Shaw pulled the metal grate down, the thunderous sound reverberating through her, somehow intensifying the pain. She was finding it hard to breathe. Not only was Shaw about to walk into certain death but in her actions and reactions, Shaw had just shown Root something.

_She feels something too._

She was sure that it wasn't as intense as her feelings – she didn't need it to be, didn't expect it to be. This was _Shaw_. Who didn't do _feelings_. But there she was. Saving her. Kissing her.

But then she had pushed her away.

She wanted to be angry but all she felt was fear and desperation. Maybe that kiss had started as a way to shut her up but that’s not how it had ended.

_Ended._

_Last time._

A wave of panic overcame her as she realised that this is how it could end. As Root watched Shaw shut the latch with her foot she saw her lift her eyes, looking at her one last time with an almost apologetic expression, before appearing to steel herself and turn to face her duty. Root was frozen, willing her God to tell her that everything would be okay.

The silence was deafening.

The only sound was Shaw’s feet on the floor as she darted over to the far wall. In a wild attempt to somehow get nearer to Shaw she raced across the elevator as she watched her reach the far side and hit _that fucking button_.

A loud crack of gunfire announced that the Samaritan agents had arrived, just a fraction of a second after the button had been pushed. Worse than that noise was the clunk of the lift mechanism engaging and the deep mechanical hum of the outer doors beginning to close. Shaw was firing back and Root had no idea if she was hitting her mark because every fibre of her being was focused on Shaw. She reached that terrible obstacle between them and hit the metal chain link grate, wishing her hands were burning as much as her chest was, so that her hands could melt the metal away and she could get to her.

It seemed like it happened in slow motion. Another shot fired from an unseen Samaritan agent, which this time did not miss its intended target. She heard the impact and saw the terrible red mist fly out from Shaw’s torso and then watched as her body buckled from the impact. She gasped, filled with dread and fear, her fingers stinging from the vice-like grip she had on the metal. One bullet was not enough to stop Shaw and she fired off a couple of rounds in reply as she tried to steady herself. The agent shooting at Shaw took advantage of Shaw’s momentary inability to move and fired again.

Root reeled as this shot hit Shaw, her worst fear coming to pass, and she felt a cry of terror flow out of her lungs, flooding the space with a noise so overbearing that it drowned out the echoing gunfire. The agony of watching this torture play out in front of her, watching Shaw being spun round by the impact, hearing her hit the floor with a flood, seeing the blood pooling on the floor under her, was more than she could bear. Her legs buckled underneath her and she felt arms behind her supporting her, stopping her crashing to the ground.

She saw Martine step into view, standing over Shaw but she didn't waste a thought on her. She cried out again, not caring that her anguish would be noticed by all present, letting Harold and Lionel support her as the elevator doors moved even closer together. The devastating sight of Shaw lying stricken on the floor looking up defiantly at _that fucking bitch_ with a gun pointed at her head, had broken her.

The doors were just inches away from meeting and Root saw Shaw’s eyes roll towards her, looking at her one last time, as if she were saying, _“ **I** do the protecting.” _ And with a clunk, they were shut.

A final shot rang out. She flinched, holding her breath as her brain processed what this meant. Her entire body seemed to shake as she let out a single sob.

_Please, no._

_***_

As the elevator rumbled and they moved away she willed Her to tell her it had all been a mistake but she heard nothing. “Tell me,” she whispered through gritted teeth.

 

** No visual on Primary Asset.**

** Primary Asset critically injured.**

** Chance of survival less than 0.000001% before signal was terminated.**

 

_Signal terminated?_ “Did you see her get shot a third time?”

 

** Negative.**

 

Her heart skipped a beat.

As Harold held her hand she thought back to what she had said to him a few months before.  _She wanted me to remind you of how this story ends. When everything is over, when the worst has happened, there's still one thing left in Pandora's Box: hope._

She dared to hope.

 

_My Sameen._

_My protector._

_Maybe, just maybe, sweetie…_


	5. The Body - The Test - The Hammer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens to Shaw after she is taken? How does Root try to get her back?  
> A few snippets of this chapter in their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more tough chapter and then a happier last one. It will not take me as long between 5 and 6 as it was between 4 and 5 (6 is mostly written, just agonising over a few things). 
> 
> Problem is, I am a Richard Curtis with fic. Fine with fluff/rom-com but not got the knack for angst (yet.. maybe it will come). Chapters 3 and 4 were "easier" because the writers and the actresses had already done the hard work for me.
> 
> Please note that there are references to violence and torture for those that prefer to know these things. But no smut. Sorry.

Chapter 5: The Body - The Test - The Hammer

 

 

Root was aware that Finch and Fusco were talking about her. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying but she knew that they weren't quite agreeing on the matter being discussed. Their body language suggested that something troubling had happened.

  
"Boys, there's no need to fight over John, I'm sure there's more than enough to go round." Fusco’s reply suggested that her attempt to lighten the mood had some small effect.

  
"Yeah, Apple Jacks. We got joint custody.” Root was grateful he was using his usual brand of nickname for her.

 

“Root, we think there’s something you need to look at.” Something was definitely up. Harold didn’t usually use anything other than ‘Miss Groves’.

 

Root’s heart was racing and she forced her face to remain as calm as possible.  “Sure thing, boys.” She forced a weak smile. She noticed that Fusco was carrying a manila file in his hand. He was thumbing the corner of the file nervously and it was beginning to fray at the edge. Her mind raced with possibilities of what might be in the file and she felt a tightening in her chest.

 

“Some of the boys in the 65th found a body dumped in an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn. I had asked for a ‘heads up’ on any unidentified bodies matching this description. I can’t tell, you know, she’s too… too far gone. But she’s got two gunshot wounds in her side,” He paused, looking down at his feet, unable to make eye-contact with Root, before continuing, “and one to the he head. I thought maybe you could rule out the possibility that we might know who this poor broad is.” He looked up, finally making eye-contact with Root, looking hopeful and terrified at the same time.

 

Root meekly nodded, holding her hand out and concentrating on making sure her hand was not visibly shaking as she accepted the file from.

 

“Root, you don’t have to do this. We can organise a DNA test.” Harold said firmly, looking at Fusco determinedly. Root realised that this must have been what they were arguing about before.

 

“Which would take weeks as well as the hassle of creating a fake identity to compare it with. It wouldn’t exactly be a crime lab priority.” Fusco voice was pained and Root looked at him sympathetically. She knew that what had happened to Shaw had hit him hard and that he was trying to do anything he could to find her. Or to bring closure. For everyone.

 

“It’s fine.” Root said swallowing nervously, betraying the confidence in her voice, “I’d rather know.”

 

She fought to control the trembling in her fingers as she opened the folder, sliding the photographs out from under the report. She caught a few words on the report, seeing that it was the right hair colour, height, eye and hair colour, but she knew the only way to be sure was to look at the pictures. She gasped as she looked at the top picture; long, dark hair in a ponytail, cascading over pale skin. She could see why Fusco had said _too far gone_ , the features difficult to make out because of the decomposition. She shuffled this picture to the back, selecting the close up pictures of the torso and legs. She searched for the scars she knew were there and her shoulders slumped as she breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“It’s not her,” she said softly.

 

She felt a hand on her shoulder. “You sure?” Fusco’s voice was as gentle as she had heard it and she wished he would just call her _Cocoa Puffs_ or _Banana Nut Crunch_ or _Fruit Loops_ so she could try to pretend she wasn’t a ghost of her former self.  She had been chasing shadows and dead ends for months and hadn’t got any closer to finding her.

 

She could feel herself slipping back towards her former habits. Every time her aim strayed from its intended kneecap and shoulder towards centre mass, she forced herself to remember that this is what she did now. This is who she was. Just like _her_. She would fight the good fight. It might have been Her who had started her along this path but it was _her_ who had kept her on it. And the only exception she would make was if she was faced with someone who she knew could lead her to _her_. To Sameen.

 

Of course she was relieved that this wasn’t Shaw’s body but she was no closer to where she wanted to be and anything that wasn’t helping her get there was a distraction. She thrust the folder back towards Fusco, “I’m sure.”

 

“Miss Groves, Detective Fusco will need-,“ Harold stared to speak but Root was determined to move on.

 

“I said, it’s _not_ her. Sameen has a tattoo…” Her mind flashed back to when she first saw that tattoo and she felt her stomach twist at the memory of those two nights and how far away they seemed now. “….I _know_ this isn’t her. Believe me.”

 

“Hey, it’s good enough for me.” Fusco looked as relieved as Root was, as he took the folder back off her. “Weight off my mind, I tell ya.” He turned towards Finch, “Glasses, you’ll be in touch if ya need any help?”

 

“Of course Detective.” The tone of Finch’s reply suggested he was no longer at odds with Fusco.

 

“Catch you later Cookie Crisp.”

 

Root smiled. Normal service resumed.

 

\----

 

She had almost gotten used to it. It wasn’t every day but as soon as Shaw heard the outer door to her cell being opened she knew what was coming. The cattle prod ensured that if she much as flinched that she would be taken down by a vicious voltage coursing through her veins. She had learned this the hard way. She smirked at the thought that every time she had flinched and gotten zapped she had taken at least one guard with her because she would never give up and make it easy for them. Even if she wasn’t physically fighting them she was gathering as much intelligence as she could so she was as informed as she could be in the event of a sniff of an escape or rescue.

 

They strapped and shackled her to the gurney that held her like Hannibal Lecter and she steeled herself for the onslaught that was to follow.

 

At first they had tried traditional _physical_ persuasive methods of getting information.

 

After letting her get over the worst of her injuries they had poked and prodded the wounds. She had not yielded and had laughed at their attempts to get her to crack. She had initially been surprised that it wasn’t Martine or Lambert doing this _work_ , but the almost inordinate amount of time that she had to think about it had led her to the conclusion that they needed their best agents in the field. Many broken bones, bruises and cuts later they had realised that this method was not going to be fruitful.

 

They tried chemicals next.

 

Her medical expertise helped her in some way to try and control what she could, to try and prevent the worst of the symptoms from overloading her system and leaving her weak to suggestion. They tried higher doses but they just knocked her out. Before long this plan was abandoned.

 

Next was electricity.

 

The pain was extraordinary.  She often made her hands bleed as she dug her nails into her palms. Most times her muscles were so strained that she would suffer cramps for many hours afterwards, waking up drenched in sweat, desperately trying to stretch her damaged muscles to relieve the pain. They amps were ramped up after every session and before long she saw that they were bringing a defibrillator on a crash cart in case they pushed too far. Long before they had to use that they had had to force a mouth guard into her mouth after she had badly bitten her tongue the first time they had gone above 50mA. The last few times she had had no idea what current they had got to as she had passed out or maybe her heart had stopped – she had no way to know. All she knew was that she had woken back up in her cell. Wracked with pain, soaked with sweat and relieved she hadn’t cracked.

 

As thick fingers at the end of burly arms strapped her to the gurney once more, she mulled over how much longer her body would last. She knew they weren’t trying to kill her but they were being quite risky, pushing her body so much and so often. It made sense, she reasoned, that they wanted to keep her alive, for leverage. They really wanted Root or Harold because they had a better chance of leading them to the Machine.

 

Root. She thought about her a lot. More than she wanted to. Not that she had much else to do. She tried to keep herself busy, mentally and physically. Well, as much as she could, in her small cell. She practiced her languages, performed calculations, went over the names of the adult human bones until she could name all 206 within three minutes. She worked on her core strength and her flexibility, determined to be as ready as she could to escape if Root managed to find her. She cursed Martine every day for shooting that camera, knowing that her comrades would think she had been likely been dealt a killer blow. But she was sure that they would not totally give up on her. She saw how Reese had been after Carter had died and although she knew Reese cared about her in a different way she knew he would have helped Root.

 

She often smiled to herself as she thought about how Root was likely to have to team up with “the big lug”. Harold would have a battle on his hands to contain the two of them. At least he had Bear to keep him sane. She thought about her promise to the dog, how easy it was to talk to the dog. How hard it was to talk to the one person she really needed to talk to. She felt her chest tighten as her mind flashed back to the elevator. To the kiss. To the screams. She would dream about it. Too often. Too much; it was more than she knew how to deal with. The feelings, if that’s what they were, threatened to burn a hole in her chest and affected her more than any electricity. She focused on her breathing, slowing it down, hoping her heart rate was slowing down too.

 

As they wheeled her along the corridor she realised that she was heading a different way than normal. _Where are they taking me?_

A few minutes and an elevator ride later she was being put into the back of a van. As an operative approached her with a needle she asked resigned to not getting an answer, “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me where they’re taking me or why I’m being moved.”

 

To her surprise a familiar clipped English accent answered her, stepping into view at the rear door of the van. “Why my dear, we are moving our base of operations. This is… an opportune moment to move you too. After all, we both know that our existing situation was not proving fruitful. You’re going somewhere no one will find you. And somewhere you have no chance of escaping from. Goodbye Sameen.”

 

_No chance of escaping. We’ll see about that._

 

\-----

 

 

Fusco was waiting patiently as Root furiously worked at the code on her laptop. "So whatya calling it? This virus. Don't they usually get some sorta name?"

 

Root nodded, not looking up, but pausing her tapping at the keyboard to say. "It's Mjolnir."

 

"Wait, isn't that like Thor's hammer or something?"

 

Root continued typing, her fingers a blur on the keyboard from Fusco's perspective.

 

"Either you're more knowledgeable than I thought or you've been watching too many Marvel movies with your kid."

 

Fusco chuckled, "Yeah, something like that."

 

Root paused again, looking sideways at the detective. "Sometimes you need a hammer. Why not use the most powerful of all?"

 

"Well we need something powerful if we wanna take those bastards down for good. Then we can go back to normal. Well, what passes as normal for nutjobs like us." He paused. Root smiled; Fusco was getting softer – usually it was only Root who he called crazy. "Well, if you ask me I think it's, you know, apt, for this mission." Fusco's voice was softer. He knew exactly why she would reference a hammer.

 

"I thought so." Root said quietly, before resuming her work.


	6. Bargaining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Shaw came back to the team. As we know, Shaw has finesse coming out of her ass, so it is an understated comeback. Not.

Chapter 6:  Bargaining

 

 

They were so close to the end game. That final move that would bring the enemy to their knees. Root's app had played its part and Mjolnir had done its job, dealing a sledgehammer level blow to Samaritan's code, leaving it blind and powerless. With its capabilities crippled, they were ripe for the taking. The Samaritan code was ruined, software beyond hope, but the hardware needed to be obliterated to ensure that there was no re-emergence. There could be no second coming. 

 

The allies that the Machine had built up helped with the physical destruction of their servers and resources at the hundreds of facilities across the globe. But there a second purpose to their primary mission: locate asset SS. Under orders to sweep facilities for her presence and retrieve any intelligence on her status before they left each site they all returned the same message: negative.

 

And so it had come to this. The final stronghold. Samaritan's routed forces had retreated towards a single location in one last attempt to survive. Their king would not be lain on its side: they were ready to fight to the death. Only a few remained but those few were determined. They knew that there was still the chance they could deal a killer blow to the Machine and Her agents. 

 

At a facility, not much more than a glorified warehouse, less than an hour away from Manhattan Team Machine were stalking their prey form a vantage point on a hill just outside the compound.

 

"I can see Greer and Martine. They’re on an upper floor. It looks like they are packing something into a case," Root said as she peered through the binoculars at the rear of the building. "Don’t think we’d get clear shot from here though. Oh, doesn't matter, they’re on the move"

 

"Guess we better move then." Reese said, pulling his beanie on and scrambling to his feet. "Fusco, you and Finch head down there to cover the goods exit. Root and I will head round to the side door."

 

Finch and Fusco started moving towards the rear of the building where there was a goods delivery entrance. Reese & Root reached the side door and snuck into the building. Most of the building was taken up by a large warehouse style room and all of the rooms were at one side of the building, the side of the building they had entered. Root and Reese swept through the rooms on the ground floor, working their way towards the rear of the building where the stairs to the upper floor were located.

 

“No word from Fusco or Finch. They must still be upstairs.” Reese said to Root. Root nodded and they edged their way towards the stairs. As they approached the stairs they saw Greer, casually standing on the bottom step, watching their approach. He calmly stepped into their path.

 

“I wouldn't shoot if I were you.”

 

“Give me one good reason,” Reese growled.

 

“If you insist. Martine, dear, bring them in.”

 

Martine appeared through the door next to the goods entrance shutter, behind a sheepish looking Finch and a furious looking Fusco, a gun pressed into the detective’s back. Fusco had a cut on his head – Root and Reese both assumed he had been pistol whipped.

 

Martine carefully manoeuvred Finch and Fusco so they were between her & Greer and Reese & Root.

 

Reese grimaced. They couldn't get a shot without risking the lives of their friends. He wasn't prepared for that. Root he wasn't sure about.

 

“Root,” he grumbled, “It looks like we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

 

“I know.” Root sighed, resigned to the realisation that the fight wasn't over yet. She was slightly distracted by a deep tumbling sound she could hear. It appeared to be coming from outside the building but she couldn't place it. “What s that sound?”

 

“Not sure. Thought it was a chopper. For them. But the sound isn't right.” Reese keep his weapon trained as close to Greer and Martine as he could.

 

They watched as Greer and Martine backed their way away from Finch and Fusco, towards the small door that was next to the shutters, likely used to let trucks into the building. The rumbling sound they had heard was getting much louder. Root thought it was probably a getaway vehicle, but definitely not a chopper. It sounded more like a tank.

 

Suddenly there was a deafening crashing sound something massive came bursting through the metal shutter with an ear-splitting roar, before careering into the Samaritan agents. Finch and Fusco turned their backs as instinct kicked in. Root and Reese, who were further away, watched the scene unfold in front of them, mouths agape at the sight.

 

It was a truck that had come crashing through the shutter and into the building. A 40-foot articulated lorry. Once it had burst into the building whoever was driving had hit the brakes, causing it to skid and turn ninety degrees, before slamming the ‘passenger’ side into the wall at the far side of the building.

 

Root and Reese both ran towards Finch and Fusco, who they could quickly tell were fine, if a little shaken from a massive truck hurtling past them, a little too closely for comfort. Sure that they were all safe, their collective attention was diverted by some movement from the cabin of the truck.

 

 

Leaning out the cab window with a shit-eating grin on her face was a certain Sameen Shaw. 

 

"Did you nerds miss me?"

 

Shaw surveyed the stunned faces before her and watched their reactions. 

 

Fusco shook his head in disbelief, "You gonna make a habit of showing up late to the party, Shaw?" He made his way towards the truck, gun drawn. Shaw presumed he was checking the status of whoever she had hit with the truck.

 

"Well, if you guys didn't keep getting neck deep in it, I wouldn't need to come save your asses."

 

Reese was grinning. Shaw thought it was as genuine a look as she'd ever seen on his face. 

 

Finch just looked relieved, his shoulders relaxing as he realised that it was all over. Then a confused expression took over his face. "But how did you know you would miss us?" His hands gestured between him and Fusco.

 

Shaw shrugged, before offering "Well, a little birdie sent me a text telling me where to aim this thing. _She_ usually gets these things right."

 

Then there was Root.

 

At first she looked stunned, like she was seeing a ghost. Shaw was worried about how she would react. The stunned look gave way, slowly, to a smile. Shaw wondered if it was her revelation that the Machine had contacted her with information. Stepping out of the cab, Shaw watched the smile develop and once she was sure that Root wasn't going to burst into tears, she threw a wink Root's way. Root's comeback to this cheek was a honest-to-goodness Sameen Shaw special. 

 

_She's rolling her eyes at me?_   _What the...?_

 

Fusco emerged from under the truck, case in hand, shaking his head. "Both dead." 

 

"Oops." Shaw said, deadpan.

 

Fusco threw the case towards Reese, who deftly caught it. 

 

The faint sound of sirens in the distance prompted them into action.

 

"Guess we better split," Reese said "Lionel, do you want to hang around, make it seem like you were on the scene first."

"Yeah that happens to me a lot. Just call me Mr Serendipity."

 

As they were walking to the car, Finch asked. "How did you find us?"

"Still got a tracker or Bear's collar. Led me right to you." Shaw said as walked towards the front of the car. She opened the front passenger door for Finch. 

"I'm very glad it did, Sameen." He very briefly laid a hand on her arm as he lowered himself into the car. He could have explained this physical contact as a need for support due to his leg but the truth was he didn't need the support, he just wanted to make a small gesture of affection.

"All right  _Harry_ , no need to get soppy." This did not sound as gruff as it once would have.

 

Reese stood at front of the car. Grinning at Shaw, being so _Shaw_ , he said, "So, Shaw, you wanna drive?"

Shaw raised her eyebrows. Being offered the drive? "What is it my birthday or something?"

"You try to do something nice..."

"Nah, happy to pass on this heap of junk. I'll take the back," pointing at Bear whose leash was tied to the car grille, "with this big guy."  _And Root._ But she wasn't going to say that _._  She opened the car door. She bent down on one knee to untie Bear and let the dog put his paws up on her shoulders, she gave him what could only be described as a bear hug _. "_ Told you I'd be back buddy." She didn't even mind the face licking.

 

" _Shaw_.." Root's tone was clear - she needed to get in the car. ' _Shaw'? She must be pissed at me_. She opened the door and let Bear jump in before she slid into the rear passenger seat. The tires spun as Reese put his foot down and off they sped, just as the sirens got too loud for comfort.

 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Finch and Root tapping away at their respective laptops, before Reese spoke. "Gotta tell you Shaw, we hunted every Samaritan facility to try and find you. Even employed people in other countries. We were all out of ideas."

"I'm not surprised. I think I was an unofficial _,_   _off-the-books_ , project. Once they realised that they weren't gonna…. _force_ information out of me they stuck me on a Canadian version of Alcatraz.” Shaw tried to ignore the wince she had just seen from Root. ”Just birds for company. And enough miles of freezing-cold ocean between me and land to stop me escaping." She paused, remembering the cold and the loneliness. It's not like she was a "people person", but the best part of a year with no one to talk was enough to push even Shaw's limits. "I wondered why they didn't kill me but I think they were keeping me as a leverage. Just in case. Don't think they banked on whatever you did to their robot overlord."

 

"How did you know Samaritan was down?"

 

"The chopper that dropped essentials every week stopped coming. A boat came by every few months and I had to wait for the next one. Snuck back Stateside and started to look for you guys. Didn't want to head back to the subway in case it was a trap. Figured that they probably placed a tracker in me during surgery, you know, when they took me." She tried not to think about it, but she could hear Root's screams and she saw Root's fingers pause before she flexed her fingers and resumed the relentless tapping on the keyboard.

 

Root _had_ been multitasking - taking in every word Shaw was saying while continuing to analyse the information being sent by the machine and Her assets about the state of the Samaritan facilities across the globe.  Her stomach was in knots as she processed what Shaw had just said and why she had needed that surgery.

 

"Root, are you pissed at me?"

  

Root said nothing. But she had stopped typing. After what seemed like an eternity, she replied.

 

"You pushed me away."  _And you kissed me._

 

"Yeah, I did."  _And I kissed you_. "And I'd do it again. For the mission. It made sense - I had ammo, you and John were hurt. It wasn't a job for Finch or Fusco. You know that. Right?"

 

"I know. But after...." She couldn't bring herself to bring up that kiss.

 

"Yeah. That. Look, I didn't want any regrets." Shaw was fidgeting with her sleeves as she said it.

 

" _No_ regrets?" Root said, carefully.

 

"No. Well maybe one." Root, worried that Shaw actually meant that she regretted the kiss, thought her heart had stopped.

 

"I kept wishing I'd knocked you out rather than pushed you. Then I wouldn't have heard...." She grimaced, not wanting to complete her sentence and say, ' _the screaming'._ She couldn't find the courage to describe the nightmares she had had about it. Not yet.  "But Finch & Fusco would never have been able to drag your ass as well as John's out of that building.” She smiled. “So maybe not."

 

"It would have been easier for me too."

 

"I know," Shaw said, softly. "Did you think I was dead?"

"No."

"You better have kicked some righteous ass looking for me."

"Something like that."

 

The car slowed down and pulled up outside a hotel that Shaw knew was a damn sight nicer than the average place she usually stayed in. 

 

"Miss Shaw. I took the liberty of booking you in here under this company name." He showed Shaw a business card and handed it to her. "They'll be expecting you. Everything is taken care of. Feel free to get room service."

 

Shaw took the card. "Sweet. Thanks, Finch. Could definitely handle some creature comforts after spending months on a glorified rock in the Atlantic." 

 

"We're just glad you're back in one piece." Finch replied

 

"Yeah, s'goodt'haveyoubackShaw," Reese mumbled.

 

"Sorry, John, couldn't quite make that out... was that… _sentiment_?" Shaw smirked.

 

"Yeah, yeah, get outta here."

 

Root sat quietly, unusually for her she was lost for words. She had an overwhelming urge to reach out to Shaw but she was frozen, unable to move.

 

Shaw put her hand on the door handle, and paused, deliberating her next move. Bargaining with herself. She was torn between heading out into the hotel and not looking back and a much more dangerous option. She sighed, decision made. 

 

She tugged the door handle, shoved the door open and retrieved her legs from underneath Bear, who had been sitting at her feet for the whole journey. She swung her legs out the car and stood up, pausing for a few seconds before sighing and turning round to face the car. Root was very aware that Shaw seemed to be wrestling with something. She was too scared to say something that might scare Shaw off. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her breathing. 

 

Her thoughts were interrupted.  

 

"Well? Are you coming?"

 

Root's eyes shot open and were immediately drawn to Shaw's arm which had been thrust into the car, her hand being offered to her. Her already-racing heart started thumping so ferociously she was sure everyone could hear it. She wanted to look at Shaw's face, not sure she was really believing what she could see, but couldn't see her eyes from inside the car. Root reached her own arm up and took Shaw's hand before Shaw could change her mind. She felt Shaw's hand grip hers, firmly but gently, before pulling her towards her and out of the car. 

 

Root smiled.

 

Someday had arrived at last.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter was built round two bits of my headcanon:
> 
> 1\. that Shaw will return in to save the day in a ridiculous OTT scene-stealing way.I really wanted her to ride i astride a tank but I couldn't work that in.  
> 2\. the Shoot reunion being a UST-filled, understated affair. The scene at the end was the first I came up with and I worked back from there.
> 
> So that's all folks. Hope you enjoyed.
> 
> Many thanks for your kudos and kind comments - they mean a lot to this newbie writer.


End file.
